Flyers Goalie Brian Elliott Undergoes Surgery, Out 5-6 Weeks

The Flyers were expected to offer an update on the status of goaltender Brian Elliott upon their return from a weekend desert trip. On Tuesday morning, Elliott was not at the morning skate, which was expected, but there was no update made known on the goaltender's status either.

Finally on Tuesday afternoon, there is an update, and it's not a good one. Elliott had successful surgery to repair a core muscle on Tuesday morning and will be out five-to-six weeks, GM Ron Hextall announced.

Elliott has been the Flyers workhorse in goal this season, posting a 21-11-7 record with a 2.72 GAA and .908 save percentage in 41 games. He made 24 saves on 27 shots in 65 minutes on Saturday before leaving the game during the shootout against Arizona with the injury.

Since the Flyers snapped a 10-game losing streak on Dec. 4, Elliott has a 15-5-1 record, a 2.51 GAA and a .912 save percentage. His 15 wins rank third in the NHL during that time.

Elliott missed four games from Jan. 25 to Feb. 3 and was making his third start in return from injury in Arizona on Saturday.

The Flyers will now have to lean heavily on Michal Neuvirth for the remainder of the season. Neuvirth has a 7-7-2 record with a 2.50 GAA this season. The Flyers also recalled Alex Lyon from the Lehigh Valley Phantoms and he did make his NHL debut in relief of Neuvirth on Jan. 31.